Technola : Public Interest Law & Technology Updates & Commentary : Matthew Burnett & Kate Bladow : Tech Advice for the Non-Profit Legal Sector

The Center for Access to Justice & Technology and the Center for Computer-Assisted Legal Instruction released A2J Author 3.0 last week. With A2J Author, non-techies can create user-friendly interfaces that help self-represented litigants fill out court forms and other legal documents. Several states with great A2J Author interviews, including New York, Washington state, and Washington, DC, have been highlighted on Technola previously.

New features included in A2J Author 3.0 include the ability to

• add graphics and videos to questions;
• customize how users exit an interview and let them leave before an interview is completed;
• create new interviews by "cutting and pasting" existing questions or question sets; and
• add a logo to the interview.

You can download A2J Author 2.0 from the A2J Author community website. A2J Author is free for noncommercial use. - K

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After I posted "We Love the Cloud; We Hate the Cloud," I noticed a tweet from Tim O'Reilly: two free webcasts on cloud computing on January 20.

• Cloud Security & Privacy - A 75-minute look at a large number of privacy and security issues.
• Cloud Security Deep Dive - A 90-minute session focusing on three areas--data security, identity management, and governance.

Both sessions are led by the authors of "Cloud Security and Privacy." You can register for one or both online. - K

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This month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) asked the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to examine the security risks of cloud computing as the FCC puts together the national broadband plan. This request grew from the FTC's concerns that Americans love cloud computing but don't understand the risks of storing data on remote systems.

Cloud computing is something I've written about before (Cloud Computing Explained) and something that I've become enamored with. I like not being tied to one computer and not worrying about losing a lot of information if a computer fails.

But I know that cloud computing comes with risks that stem from no longer being in control of my data. Perhaps someone will intercept my data transfer, the provider isn't as trustworthy as their privacy policy and terms of service suggest, or maybe they don't care about security as much as they should. Each time I add data to the cloud, I need to think about whether I'm okay with the risk.

For a more in-depth analysis of the security Software as a Service (SaaS), a type of cloud computing, check out two articles from Idealware: Is SaaS more secure? and SaaS and Security - the Response! - K

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Kate and I were recently interviewed by Lisa Kennelly, Editorial Manager at LexBlog. We shared the story behind Technola, how it has evolved, and our thoughts on technology, blogging and the public interest legal community. -M

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Law Technology News (LTN) just published a nice article on LawHelp Interactive (fka NPADO), a document assembly program that helps pro se litigants and volunteer attorneys prepare legal documents online. LawHelp Interactive is managed by Pro Bono Net in collaboration with Ohio State Legal Services Association, with funding by the Legal Services Corporation and the State Justice Institute. -M

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User Effect, a consulting firm specializing in website usability, has put together a helpful guide to free and low-cost web usability tools that covers twenty tools in four categories: heat mapping, screen recording, user testing, and user feedback. The free guide is available for download here (PDF). –M [Thanks, Dan!]

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Illinois Legal Aid Online will once again be webcasting several live sessions from the LSC TIG conference, which takes place next week. Below is a list of sessions and links. To view the live webcasts click on the link at the scheduled time. Note that all times are Central.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

9:15am-10:30am
Opening Plenary: Generational Approaches to Change and Technology Adaptation

10:45 am-12:15pm
Emerging Trends in Technology

2:00pm-3:30pm
Knowledge Management - What It Is, Why It Matters, and Options For Making What You Know Findable

3:45pm-4:45pm
Mission-Based Technology Planning

Thursday, January 14, 2010

9:00am-10:30am
The New Frontier of Intake - Enhancing Intake with Online Tools

10:45am-12:15pm
E-Discovery Jeopardy

1:15pm-2:15pm
Ignite Session - Show and Tell of Technology Projects

2:30pm-3:45pm
Strategic Planning for Telephone Systems - How-to's and Examples

4:00pm-5:00pm
Pro Se Clinics and Document Assembly

Friday, January 15, 2010

9:00am-10:00am
NTAP and Pro Bono Net Updates

10:15am-11:00am
BTOP and Other Funding Sources

11:15am-12:00pm
TIG Updates from LSC

A calendar of sessions is also available here. -M

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PSLawNet, an online resource for public interest law job-seekers, recently launched a new blog covering public interest news and the job market for public interest lawyers and law students. If you’re interested in keeping track of new legal aid and public interest law blogs be sure to check out our blogroll page, which we update regularly. If you don’t see your blog there, and think it should be, shoot us an email at technolablog at gmail.com. – M

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The January 2010 ABA Young Lawyer magazine features an article on LiveHelp by Liz Keith, LawHelp program manager at Pro Bono Net. In addition to explaining how LiveHelp works, Liz showcases innovative LiveHelp projects and staffing models that are being implemented by legal services organizations across the country. -M

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